Improvement in cheese-vats



W. H'.l OBITTS. uEEEsE VAT.

Patented NOV.A 22, 1870.

3 ifa/@nifl WILLIAM H. oBITrs, or ELYRIA, oHIo.

Leners man No. 109,541, daad November 22,17o.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHEESE-VATS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part `of the name.

To all whom yit may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAAI ll'. Olrrs, of Elyria, in the county of Lora-in and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cheese-Vats; and I do herebyl declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to' the accompanying drawing of the same, which makes part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of a cheese-vat embracing my improvements;

Figure 2 represent-s a transverse section ot' the same; and I Figure 3 represents a view in perspective of the central circulating and heat-distributing chamber dctached from the vat and inverted. l i' Figure 4 represents a top view of aport'ion of the distributing-chamber.

My invention relates to vats for making cheese., and consists in providing the water-tank with a central longitudinal board, having on its under side a heating and distributiug-chamber, arranged so as to communicate, by an ingress opening, with the heating-chamber of the stove, and by an egress openingr with the vtank-chamber above; provided also with a series of transverse channels, arranged so as to communicate with said central. chamber and the water,- tank in lateral streams along-the ent-iro length of both sides of said chamber; also, in constructing said ccntral longitudinal board with heat-retaining strips, and.

a series of transverse arms, arranged so as to allow a free and unobstructed circulation ofthe water beneath the arms and the entire surface of the cooking-vat without touching the bottom of' the latter, whereby the hot water is more evenly and regularly distributed from the central heating-chamber, and the same degree of heat imparted at the s ame incluent to every part of the bottom and sides of the vat, the important desideratum inthe manufacture ot' cheese being to impart to the body of the milk or curd the same degree of heat, and to continue it uniformly throughout the process not only increases its bulk from a given quantity of curd, but improves its qualit-y, rcndcrs it firmer, and preserves it for a'longer time than. when otherwise made.

In the accompanyingr drawing- A represents the water-tank or vat of oblong form, lnedwith tin, and supported upon legs 1S. lt is made with a longitudinal case or trough, C, extending along its center from one end to the other below and opening into the bottom of the tank, within which the heating-pipe l) is placed and secured at each end ot' the tank, so as to leave a free space, a, between it and the case for the circulation of the water round and above it. v

lf, at its rear end.

'lhc open caso and its heating-pipe have a tapering form from the front to the back, and the latter is provided with a door, E, at its front, and a smoke-pipe,

A central board, G, having a width suii'icient to cover the opening of the case O, rests along its edges upon the bottom ofthe water-tank. On theunder side ot' this centra-l strip a distributing-chamber, e, is formed, extending from the front to the rear end of the tank, and communicating at its front end by an opening, b, tig. 1, with the water-chamber o surroundin'gr the stove, and with the 'chamber of the water-tank by an opening, e, in the lboard G at its rear end, as shown in fig. 4.'

This distribating-chamber projects throughout its length into the heating-chamber af, and its under side L is made concave, to conform to tho surface of the heating-pipe D, but leaving a space between themfor the free circulation of the hot water beneath the, cen-1.

tral chamber -c as well as through it.

The front end ofthe b oard G tits against the inner side/ol' thc tank, and thus closes it with. the latter for the purpose of compelling the water from the'hcater to pass into and through the distributing-cham'ber e and enter the tank at its opposite cud.-

io el'icct the distribution of the -hot water into the tank along its entire length and beneath the bottom of the rat from opposite sidcs ot' the chamber e, trans'- verse channels d are formed on the under side of the central board G, in communication with the central chamber c, so that thehot water, while passing through it, also passes in lateral streams throughout its length dircctl y into the body of the water beneath the vat H,

4in such manner that the heated water from the supplychamber o is introduced into thctank atall partsat the 'same temperature and at the same time, because,

when thc heatfrom the stove is sufficient to heat the water surrounding it, the latter will at once commence to pass through the supply-chamber c and out of the lateral chnnnels'd, and so increase in the rapidity of its circulation in proportion to the increase of its temperature, and in this manneraccomplish the uniform cooking ot' the curd.

'lhe distributing-channels d may be any suitable distance apart, but 1 prefer 'to make them closer together toward the rear end of the chamber e, to cornpcnsate for thc loss ol' heat in the water in Alts passage through said chamber.

Along each odge ot' the central board G, and overlapping its top a short distance, a strip of tin, i, figs. 2 and 3, is secured to serve as a heat-retainer, and at suitable intervals throughout its length transverse metallic arms l are secured to its upper side, extending nearly to the inner sides of the tank, land bent down so as to rest on the surface thereof', for the purof the tank, as they intel-pose no hindering surface to4 either the lateral or'longitudinal currents off the water.

The curd-vat H is supported bythe flame J upon the top ot' the water-tank, and projectsl into the latter so as to leave a space, K, between it and the sides and bottom o( the tank, so that, while nopart of the `bottom ot' `the vat rests upon the heating-arms, it is in snc-h proximity thereto as to derive all the benefit theyhave as heaters, thus relieving the bottom ofthe vat from all liability to -bake or burn any part of the curd. 4

'lhe `water is supplied to the tank at the spout M, u

or by any other means.

Having thus described my improvements,

I claim-` 1. The circulating and formed within a central board, G, having an ingrese` and egress-opening, b c, at opposite ends, and transverse channels Il, and arranged in such relation tothe tank H and heating-chamber a as to communicate with them in the -manner and for the purpose described.

2. The heatretaining arms 1 and plates i arranged upon the central board G, to assist in equalzing the heat of the water in the tank, in the manner described.

3. The concave bottom ofthe distributing-chamber e, arranged to project within the heating-chamber a, to obtain a greater heating surface, as described.

WILLIAM H. OBITTS. Witnesses:

JOHN V. Coon,A N. L. JOHNSON.

distributing chamber e 

